UK government refuses slavery reparations as Jamaica urges king to act
Britain expresses sorrow over slavery, but rejects financial compensation.
The United Kingdom’s government has reiterated that it rejects reparations for Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade as Jamaica has petitioned King Charles III over the issue.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s spokesperson said on Monday that “the UK does not and will not pay reparations”.
Successive British governments have refused to engage in discussions about slavery reparations, while accepting that the country significantly benefitted from the trade.
The petition poses three questions for the king to consider: whether the enslavement of Africans in Jamaica was legal under English law; whether it violated international law; and whether the UK has a legal obligation to provide compensation for the harms caused by slavery.